Welcome June!

Welcome June, the start of glorious summer. I love the shift from spring to summer with joyful memories of the last days of the school year and the promise of a season free to explore and travel, be silly with my girlfriends, and read lots of books. As an adult, it continues to be a month that inspires great happiness in me.

That feeling of happiness and inspired living is this month’s theme. We all hold a hunger for happiness although each one of us holds our own short list of factors that, we believe, contributes to a life of bliss. I recently watched a wonderful documentary simply called Happy. It made me so happy that I watched it twice! Director and story-teller Roko Belic presents decades of research on happiness, a growing field of study. The film is full to overflowing of interesting information and stories of pain that led to eventual happiness. The film also documents how the country of Bhutan has begun to measure Gross Domestic Happiness, along with other areas of growth. What affected me the most was the research that showed our path to happiness. According to Belic, is not in acquiring things, “People who express their love – who rejoice in the health and happiness of others—are more likely to feel loved and happy themselves.” He confirms something that was my own belief, even before seeing the movie — happiness is a choice.

Our feature article, Life Lift by Judith Fertig, explores this month’s theme of happiness. We supplement that piece with a short piece by you, our readers. My team, Sharon and Terri, and I have been out in the community, meeting so many of you at expos and events. We took those opportunities to ask what makes you happy. To see a short clip of these interviews, visit our Facebook page.

Also in this issue, you will find important information about changes to the District’s new laws on medical marijuana by Dr. Mikhail Kogan and great tips for keeping your skin safe in the summer months from First Lady Michelle Obama’s personal esthetician JoElle Lee. As we celebrate Father's Day on June 16, our health briefs offer new information on keeping the men in your life as healthy as they can be.